“The animal I am most fascinated by is my pack of coyotes,” she wrote. “I say ‘my’ coyotes because I am the only one who likes them ... I have watched the pack grow. There are seven coyotes now, with two pups born early last spring. Only once have I seen the whole pack together. Usually it is one or two at a time.”

Neighbors complain that coyotes eat rabbits and squirrels. The reader doesn’t like to think about that but, she says, it is the law of nature.

Another reader reports a golf outing this summer in which a young coyote followed her on the course. More than one reader said they always stay with their pets outdoors because of fear that coyotes will harm them. Several people talked about ducks using the swimming pools in their backyards. (Wouldn’t you think they’d prefer river water over chemically-treated pool water?) A Northwest Rockford reader has seen coyotes, groundhogs, foxes, opossums, raccoons and, of course, turkeys in his backyard. A Boone County resident said they have seen mink at a nearby stream.

A homeowner just west of Guilford High had to clean his garage this summer after a raccoon decided it was a good place to hang out. He awoke to find tools, wood and containers of nails, screws, nuts and bolts scattered around the garage. The culprit ‘coon was hiding under the workbench. She had gotten in, the reader surmised, during the day when the garage door was open and stayed the night. He tried to chase it out with a leaf blower but all that did was give its fur a good fluffing. Finally, he set a Hav-A-Heart trap, baited with cat food, and left the back door open. The next morning, the raccoon was gone and wasn’t seen again.

Thanks to everyone who responded to my request for info about wild animals living with us. In future columns, I’ll write about flying squirrels, the return of a raptor that usually stays south of here, and what experts say about urban wildlife and if/when it becomes a problem.